Classroom of the Elite, I Only Want Your Rewards

It's a bit light. Is it clothing?

Suzuki Toru glanced at the brand; it seemed to be a high-end item, probably costing around ten or twenty thousand private points?

Don't the guys in Class D know how to save their points?

Even though it was just a subtle glance, Kushida Kikyo still noticed where he was looking.

This guy really is a lecher, peeking at a girl's clothes. Could he be targeting her?

But thinking of Horikita Suzune, Kushida Kikyo couldn't help but hesitate for a moment.

Perhaps that wouldn't be so bad.

A brand new day, and Suzuki Toru arrived at the Class A classroom.

By now, a week had passed since the start of school, and everyone had almost grown accustomed to life at this institution.

"Suzuki-kun, have you had any breakthroughs these past few days?" Sakayanagi Arisu took the initiative to greet him.

I accidentally gained a million points; can I say that?

Suzuki Toru glanced at her cane. Just snatching that cane away would fulfill two or three of his wishes; it was truly tempting.

"I've done some preliminary preparation. I should be able to join the student council soon."

"Hehehe, I shall wait and see." Sakayanagi Arisu wore a smile. "However, it seems I cannot afford to fall behind any longer."

Suzuki Toru eyed her suspiciously, but she suddenly turned her head, her gaze meeting Hashimoto Masayoshi on the other side. The latter nodded, seemingly understanding.

"Um, could everyone please be quiet for a moment?" Hashimoto Masayoshi stood up. "Sakayanagi has something very important to tell us. Could you spare a few minutes?"

Hearing his words, the previously noisy classroom quieted down significantly, and most of the students turned their attention toward them.

Hashimoto Masayoshi was well-liked; having him take the lead was effective—at least more so than a middle schooler like Sakayanagi Arisu shouting to get attention.

"Strange, what is she going to say?"

"Ahaha, don't tell me she's about to confess to someone?"

"You kid, you aren't a lolicon, are you?"

There was a slight commotion, and even Katsuragi Kohei couldn't help but look at Sakayanagi Arisu.

"Sakayanagi, what exactly is this important matter you have to discuss?"

Facing Katsuragi Kohei's question, Sakayanagi Arisu lifted her eyes unhurriedly, meeting the gaze of the entire Class A, and then wore a faint smile.

"Naturally, it is about the true nature of this school—the truth that has been hidden from all of us since the day we enrolled."

So, she's finally starting to exert her influence?

After observing for a period of time, did she feel disappointed?

No, perhaps she just felt bored.

Suzuki Toru silently took out his notebook, which was already filled with quite a bit of content, but he decided to add a few more lines.

On the other side, Katsuragi Kohei had also guessed what Sakayanagi Arisu was about to say.

"How much have you found out?"

"Hehe, all of it, of course. I will tell you every single word."

The more Sakayanagi Arisu smiled, the more ominous Katsuragi Kohei felt; he had a feeling she was fully prepared.

Chapter 16: We Are the Champions

"First, let me ask: how many private points do you all have left?"

Although they didn't know what Sakayanagi Arisu was up to, many people gave their answers.

Some said seventy thousand, others said ninety thousand, but basically, no one had spent more than half, and most students had only used ten or twenty thousand.

"Just as I expected. I thought there might be some idiots who would spend all their points at once." A flash of disappointment crossed Sakayanagi Arisu's eyes. It was unclear what she was disappointed about.

"Hey, stop dragging this out! If you have something to say, just say it!" Totsuka Yahiko urged impatiently.

"Hehe, please don't be so anxious. There is still some time before class starts, and I believe you will soon find this information worth more than its weight in gold." Sakayanagi Arisu said slowly. "After all, we might not receive the same amount of private points next month."

As soon as those words fell, gasps of astonishment erupted throughout the classroom.

"Are you serious?!"

"Wait, what exactly does that mean?"

"Why wouldn't we get the same amount of private points next month?"

Her words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, creating a thousand ripples. Everyone was dumbfounded, unable to believe what they had just heard.

"Sakayanagi, is your information reliable?" Katsuragi Kohei asked in a low voice.

"Absolutely. It took a bit of time to get the upperclassmen to admit it. If you don't believe me, you can verify it with them yourselves." Sakayanagi Arisu smiled slightly. "Once you see their point records for this month, everything will become clear."

On the day of enrollment, she had used her chess skills to post a bounty on the school forum, utilizing betting agreements to ruthlessly farm some "small mobs."

Those who didn't pay attention to the school forum likely had no idea about her maneuvers.

"Next month, our private points will be deposited based on our class points, with a conversion rate of one to one hundred. Our class points this month are one thousand, which is why we received one hundred thousand private points."

"At the same time, our position in the grade rankings will fluctuate based on the number of Class Points we hold. The highest is Class A, and the lowest is Class D. In the eyes of the school, the most excellent students are those in Class A, while the most inferior are those in Class D."

"I must emphasize this: only students who graduate from Class A will receive the school's promise—the so-called guarantee of higher education and employment. If you are not in Class A, you will not be able to obtain these."

"Moving forward, we are about to compete against the other three classes. Whether it is to consolidate our status as Class A or to accumulate the Private Points necessary for daily life, Class Points are of the utmost importance."

"I hope everyone understands this. That is all."

After saying this, Sakayanagi Arisu sat quietly in her seat, her face devoid of any expression. This was merely her beginning.

The classroom fell into silence, and it was a long time before someone finally broke it.

"Hahaha, but we started as Class A, didn't we? That means the school has already recognized our ability, because Class A is for the most excellent students!" Totsuka Yahiko laughed joyfully.

It seemed others held the same thought, as they showed slightly relieved expressions.

However, Katsuragi Kohei said with a grave expression, "From what I understand, the Class Points of the other classes are the same as ours right now. Every class has one thousand points."

"Did the school make a mistake?" Totsuka Yahiko asked, dissatisfied. "If we are Class A, shouldn't there be a gap? Isn't the ranking the same for everyone now?"

"I have already checked. Both the second and third years have bulletin boards displaying the rankings of the four classes, but we first-years do not have such a thing yet." Hashimoto Masayoshi suddenly spoke up. "This suggests the school believes we are all on the same starting line for now. As for why we were assigned to Class A, I imagine the school must have other considerations."

"Huh? Then what is the point of dividing us into classes?" Totsuka Yahiko was surprisingly the fastest in the class to accept this truth. "Doesn't being in Class A mean we are the most excellent students? I don't understand the school's reasoning for doing this at all."

Perhaps unable to watch any longer, Sakayanagi Arisu sighed, "Is it possible that the school believes that even if we are given one thousand Class Points, the rankings for next month will be clear at a glance?"

"They will deduct Class Points?" Katsuragi Kohei was the first to react.

"Not only will they deduct them, but they will also expel students." Hashimoto Masayoshi said, as if lamenting. "I heard that over a dozen students have already dropped out in the second year. When the Princess asked me to investigate, even I was shocked."

He intentionally mentioned his relationship with Sakayanagi Arisu; this specific form of address was almost an explicit declaration that he had chosen another rising leader.

Katsuragi Kohei understood, his brows knitting together tightly. When did they start this?

However, upon hearing about expulsions, the expressions of many students changed.

"Only Class A gets free access to higher education and employment—that in itself is already harsh enough, but they are actually expelling students too?"

"Hashimoto-san, what must we do to avoid being expelled?"

"I'm suddenly regretting coming to this school."

Hashimoto Masayoshi blinked, then revealed a refreshing smile. "I don't know about that either. These are all things Sakayanagi asked me to do."

Consequently, everyone's gaze returned to Sakayanagi Arisu.

"Please rest assured. I believe the school will not expel anyone without reason. I suspect they were forced to drop out due to certain circumstances." A faint, elusive smile hung on the corners of Sakayanagi Arisu's mouth. "Looking at the second years, the classes with the most dropouts are Class C and Class D. Class A only has one."

Seeing it this way, the students of Class A felt significantly more at ease.

"Whether it concerns Class Points or the expulsion of a student, the school likely has a corresponding set of procedures. If we want to avoid the worst-case scenario, it would be best to clarify this moving forward."

Unknowingly, Sakayanagi Arisu began to stand in a leadership position, thinking on everyone's behalf.

"If we aren't proactive, it might become quite troublesome," Sakayanagi Arisu continued. "You wouldn't want to accept the school's arrangements while remaining completely ignorant, would you?"

Some were moved, but more realized the value Sakayanagi Arisu was displaying at this moment.

At this, Katsuragi Kohei said calmly, "What do you want to do?"

"Collect more intelligence, of course." Sakayanagi Arisu smiled. "If possible, I would like for some people to join clubs and interact with the upperclassmen."

Before Katsuragi Kohei could ask for the reason, she answered in advance, "Also, participating in club activities comes with point rewards. Those who excel can earn corresponding Private Points."

"Eh, no Class Points?" Totsuka Yahiko asked, confused. "Private Points are basically useless for anything other than buying things, right?"

Sakayanagi Arisu turned to look at Suzuki Toru, the girl's smile resembling that of a fox.

"Regarding this, I would like to hear Suzuki-kun's thoughts."

Suzuki Toru, who had originally been watching the drama unfold, suddenly felt as if he had been called upon by a teacher, experiencing a sense of helplessness.

Chapter 17: The School's Rules

Faced with being called out, Suzuki Toru did not panic too much.

At this moment, the entire class's attention was focused on him in unison.

Although there were many handsome boys in Class A, such as Shijo Taiga, Sanada Kosei, Satonaka Satoshi, and Hashimoto Masayoshi, Suzuki Toru still stood out from the crowd.

He could perceive the girls whispering and discussing something, and he could see the envious and curious gazes of the boys. Suzuki Toru continuously evaluated in his mind what kind of image he should project right now.

"Regarding the explanation of Private Points, Mashima-sensei already spoke about it on the first day of school. His explanation was that 'anything can be bought,' and I think that is sufficient."

As he spoke, Suzuki Toru looked around the room. In truth, quite a few students had already vaguely sensed that something was wrong, but they simply hadn't thought it through.

Now that it was being brought up again by him, they were naturally able to immediately recall the subtlety of Mashima Tomoya's words back then.

"Ha, what is that supposed to mean?" Totsuka Yahiko stared at Suzuki Toru, looking dumbfounded. "Points are just yen; you buy what you want with them. That's a matter of course, isn't it?"

Even among the students of Class A, there were those whose minds were not quick enough. After all, until recently, they were just a group of middle school students, ordinary kids from all over the country.